Check out some of the emails that you have received from us and you may notice the format and wording is not like what most wedding pros send.

In fact, what I’m about to bring up here about bridal email marketing is critical to getting your email read by brides (rather than hitting the delete button after getting yet another cookie-cutter, same as everyone else email from typical wedding pros).

Listen: If you understand these few counter intuitive email concepts explained below…

…you don’t have to be a copy writing wiz kid to sneak your message through the media clutter. You will be on your way for brides to actually read your email and then crush it with your booking results.

In other words…

Studies have been done on how people actually read their email – and tests have been done to determine what formats get the most response.

So, yes, copy what has been proven to work and you can improve those dreadful email results…

… but, Jeez Louise, with Smart Phones, Facebook, Angry Birds and Words With Friends, it’s getting tougher every minute to have her read your email. That is why it’s so important to have a plan with your emails and not “just wing it”.

Critical Rule #1: The 4 Inch Rule Rules:

This is going to be outside the box but follow me here: Keep your email width to no more than 4 inches wide.

I gotta tell ya, when I learned this rule I never went back to the old way.

Let’s explore this a little bit here…

It’s much easier on the eyes to read email in 4 inch blocks then to have to scroll all the way across a page. If a bride opens your email and she has to struggle to read it – she won’t read it.

Basically, you want the width of your emails to be no more than 4 inches or about 25 -40 characters. How long is 30 characters?

30 Characters

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And with reading emails in Smart Phones the viewing screen is much smaller. These devices tend to have small, narrow screens so you don’t want to force people to scroll across to be able to read your message.

Critical Rule #2: Shorty Short Paragraphs

This one is going to be tough – keep your paragraphs to only ONE or TWO sentences. PERIOD.

Quite Frankly, most people don’t read your email…

…they quickly scan your message to decide if it has something of interest. If they find something they may go back and read the full content.

If you have short, small chunks it makes it easier for your reader to scan and digest for content. The long clumped overflowing block of jumble of a paragraph will be practically invisible to your bride.

Critical Rule #3: You Are Speaking to Only One Person

When bride opens your email it’s a personal communication between YOU and HER.So you are not speaking to a group or mass of people, but ONE person ONLY.

Now, you maybe sending a broadcast email to 500 brides but that does not matter. You want your email to be a one-on-one personal communication.

Consider: She has to feel that you are talking to her only and not an entire gaggle of brides in your email.

Critical Rule #4: No Business Sounding Corporate Speak

What I am really saying here is talk to her like you would talk to a real person.

However, many people write their email copy trying to sound business like but it comes across as stuffy with no personality. You are selling yourself and you are a real person trying to build rapport with another real person.

Now, a word of caution: It doesn’t matter if you are a high end company or trying to sell high end brides. For her to like you (and that’s what really makes the sale), she has to connect with what you are saying – and trying to sound like a fancy dancy high end company you will turn her off in a New York Minute.

This should be an easy step for any wedding marketer. Just write like you are writing to Homer and Marge Simpson and you will have the correct level for your emails.

Critical Rule # 5: Just One Confounded Request Per Email

Short attention spans are the rule…

… so make your email short with ONE Goal in mind – to have her take action with one thing and one thing only.

Cuz you can’t expect a busy bride to read your email AND Like You On Facebook, Visit Your Gallery, Check Out the Website, Do a Back flip AND expect her to call you for a Consultation.

Thus: If you ask her to to two things her attention span explodes and she ends up doing nothing (well, she does close the email, moves on to the next “thing” and you become a distant memory).

What do do? Have a series of short, friendly emails each with it’s own goal and call-to-action.

Ideally, your first email could be your offer (always with a deadline) with a link to your website to sign up, the next a link to the new pix on the blog or portfolio, then a quickie asking her to Like you on Facebook.

To Sum Up: If your inner brain tells you not to believe these rules, don’t listen. They are counter intuitive but they have been tested over and over by the top marketing Gurus. Put them into play.